Algarve Situation Report Wednesday 11th December 2024
by Mike Evans
Good day to you all. As the festive holidays get closer and the weather has taken a turn for the worse we should all be aware of the dangers of driving during these holiday periods with excess alcohol in your system. Portugal has the sixth highest number of deaths per million inhabitants across the EU and whilst the trend over the first 6 months of 2024 show a decrease in this figure compared to the same period in 2023 we know from other years data that we see an increase in accidents on our roads during the winter period especially during the Christmas and New Year holidays. There were 642 deaths on our roads during the first 6 months of the year. The Police authorities will be campaigning again over the holiday period to crack down on Drink Driving so to enjoy a Merry Christmas if you have to drive, don’t drink.
Now a look at some of the stories that have been happening across the region in the past seven days.
PORTIMÃO: SUSPICION AROUND MOTHER AND BABY DYING FROM HOME BIRTH
A woman died on Saturday following a home birth, after being transported to Portimão Hospital. Police later found the baby, lifeless, in a room of the house where the woman lived with her husband and two daughters.
INEM was called to assist the 42 year old woman, who was in a serious condition and ended up dying in the hospital, from severe bleeding. It was discovered that the woman was 9 months pregnant.
The hospital alerted the authorities, “and the PSP found the newborn, lifeless, hidden and wrapped in blankets at the woman’s home. Police have suspicions that the baby had been asphyxiated. Reports by Portuguese newspaper, Correio da Manhã, say that the woman hid her pregnancy because there were suspicions of an extramarital affair. Due to her large physique, no one suspected anything, even her family, friends and neighbours.
The bodies were taken to the Portimão Forensic Medical Office for autopsies, “in order to clarify exactly the causes of death”.
The victim’s husband is said to have “reported to the inspectors that he did not know about the pregnancy, and that the child was not his”.
TAVIRA: MAN ARRESTED FOR GROWING CANNABIS
After 2 months of investigations, the Tavira GNR arrested a 59 year old man yesterday, for growing cannabis and possession of a prohibited weapon.
The statement reads, “the Guard’s military personnel carried out a house search that culminated in the dismantling of a greenhouse, intended for the cultivation of cannabis, and the seizure of prohibited weapons”.
Several devices related to the different stages of cultivation, drying, packaging and packing of the narcotic product were found during the house search. Police seized 224 cannabis plants, 3358 doses of cannabis, five bottles of cannabidiol (CBD) oil, a tactical crossbow, two recurve bows, 27 darts, 21 arrows, two cell phones, LED lights, solar panels, extractors and fertilizers.
LAGOS: 5 YEAR OLD SUFFERS ELECTRIC SHOCK FROM MUNICIPAL CHRISTMAS LIGHTS
Christmas lights crashed in Lagos on Saturday night, after an exposed wire gave an electric shock to a 5 year old child, in the Jardim da Constituição area.
Yesterday, Hugo Pereira, the Mayor of Lagos, clarified that “it was found that the reason for the shock was an electrical wire that was exposed and was next to the grass, but it was repaired immediately.”
The young boy was assisted by locals, and a firefighter who was in the area. Luckily, he “did not suffer serious injuries, but was taken to hospital as a precaution and for monitoring, and was discharged on Sunday morning”.
“We (the local authority services) were always in contact with the family and monitoring the child. It was an incident that, fortunately, was nothing more than a big scare,” the Mayor highlighted.According to Pereira, the lighting safety circuit breaker “should have tripped, i.e., cut off the electrical current, which did not happen”.
The mayor added that, after the accident, the company responsible for the installation was asked to “carry out a thorough inspection of all the Christmas lights installed in the city, in order to assess their safety conditions.”
Some of the people who witnessed the accident “had collected and published images on social media, with false information, that the child had suffered a cardiac arrest”, said the Mayor, “fortunately, the case did not have serious consequences for the child’s health, contrary to what was reported by onlookers.”
TAVIRA: GNR SEIZES MORE THAN 10,000 LITRES OF PETROL
On Friday, the GNR seized thousands of litres of fuel and arrested two men aged 24 and 35, and charged a third man, aged 44, with aiding drug trafficking in Santa Luzia, Tavira.
The Guard explains that, during a patrol, “a group of individuals were seen transferring fuel cans from a vehicle to a boat”. The GNR, in view of the suspicious activity, decided to establish “a security perimeter at the site” and proceed with the “mobilization of operational reinforcement”.
Upon seeing the GNR, the suspects “began to flee in a boat, but were intercepted by soldiers from the Coastal and Border Control Unit (UCCF) and the Intervention Detachment (DI) of Faro”, said the GNR.
The operation resulted in the seizure of 401 jerry cans of petrol, holding 10,000 litres and two light goods vehicles. The facts were referred to the Tavira Judicial Court.
LARGE AMOUNT OF WASTE PRODUCED BY TOURISTS HAS A SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE ALGARVE
The production of waste by tourists during peak season has a significant impact on the management of municipal solid waste in the Algarve, with an urgent need to define sustainable solutions, according to a study presented in Vilamoura at the end of November.
The study “The implications of tourist activity in the Algarve region for urban waste management”, which brought together researchers from five universities in Portugal and the United States, reveals the “urgent need to define sustainable solutions to address the environmental and economic impact, caused by the high tourist seasonality” in this region.
According to researcher Eduardo Cardadeiro, coordinator of the study, a tourist in the Algarve produces, on average, twice as much waste per day as a resident of the region, and the fact that there is “strong seasonality” causes an increased difficulty in managing solid waste.
“Tourism is fundamental to the Algarve’s economy, but it is necessary to ensure that its growth does not compromise the region’s sustainable development,” added the professor from the Autonomous University. According to Eduardo Cardadeiro, the study will continue to be developed, having in this first phase, among other things, characterised the relationship between tourism and waste management and analyzed the production of municipal solid waste by tourism.
“If we can better understand the impact of tourism on waste production and better manage this process, we will perhaps be in a better position to achieve targets in the waste sector, to have more sustainable management, and to promote the Algarve as a destination that sustainably manages waste, promoting the circular economy,” he said.
The study concluded that in 2023 the Algarve recorded 29 million overnight stays, of which 82% occurred in the high season, which created significant pressure on the region’s waste management services.
During the month of August, tourism was responsible for 41% of waste production, equivalent to 3.6 kilos per night, that is, more than double the per capita production of local residents. Waste production in the high season also has an economic impact, since the total cost of waste management in 2023 was 81.3 million euros, with significantly higher average costs in the high season, reaching €436 per tonne for unsorted waste, compared to €147 per tonne in the low season.
The study also reveals that, currently, more than 80% of municipal waste in the Algarve is deposited in landfills, while recycling and reuse rates are below 15%, which is below the targets set by the European Union for 2035.
The document also identified the need to implement measures to meet the targets defined by the European Union, and promote a circular economy and sustainable practices for the Algarve region.
In a second phase of the study, in 2025, a pilot project will be implemented to optimize waste management, such as dedicated collection circuits, through the involvement of regional partner entities, such as Algar, responsible for the selective collection of waste at ecopoints, the Algarve Intermunicipal Community (AMAL), tour operators, hotels and restaurants.
Environmental, social and sustainability performance indicators will also be developed, to monitor progress and adapt solutions to local needs.
Finally, in a third phase, the measures successfully tested in the pilot project will be extended to the entire Algarve region.
The study on the treatment of municipal solid waste in the Algarve was promoted by the Center for Research in Economic and Business Sciences (CICEE),in partnership with the University of Algarve and with the support of Algar.
ALGARVE AVOCADO THIEVES APPREHENDED
Four people have been detained by the GNR in Vila Nova de Cacela, district of Faro, for stealing avocados, with the authorities managing to seize more than a ton of the fruit and the vehicle which was being used in the theft. In a statement, the GNR explains that the arrest of the two men and two women took place on Sunday, following a complaint that agricultural products were being stolen. Authorities went to the scene, seizing a vehicle and more than 1,200 kilos of avocados, which were returned to the owner.
This arrest occurred at a time when Operation Campo Seguro was being carried out, whose objective was to intensify awareness, patrolling and inspection of rural and forestry properties throughout the national territory.
That’s all for this week, Stay Safe.